<h1>PESTS OF CROPS</h1>
CONTENT
<ol>
<li>Other Important Pests and Nature of Damages to Crop Pests</li>
<li>Broad Outline/Biology of Selected Insect Pests</li>
<li>Preventive and Control Measures of Crop Pests</li>
<li>Side Effects of Various Preventive and Control Measures</li>
<li>Effects/Economic Importance of Pests</li>
</ol>
<h2>Other Important Pests and Nature of Damages to Crop Pests</h2>
The non-insect pests include:
<ol>
<li>Birds</li>
<li>Rodents</li>
<li>Nematodes</li>
<li>Snails</li>
</ol>
<h3>Birds</h3>
Many kinds of birds feed on planted crops. They attack crops like fruits, grains, oil palm, etc. while on the field. For example, the weaver birds called Quela bird feed on millet, sorghum and rice. They eat the developing seeds and cause great losses on crops. Francolin feeds on tuber crops like cassava, yam, cocoyam and grain crop. Parrots also eat lots of fruits such as mango and cocoa. Weaver birds cause defoliation to oil palm leaves, reducing photosynthetic activities of the crops.
<h3>Rodents</h3>
These are mammalian pests which damage crops like young oil palm trees, vegetables, yam, cassava, rice and sugar-cane. Examples are rats, monkeys, giant rats, bats, squirrel, grass cutter and antelope. Squirrels and monkeys eat cocoa pods; bats eat lots of fruits like oranges and mangoes. Ground squirrel eats or digs out and eats newly planted seeds. Grass cutter cuts and eat cereals, cassava, sugar cane and young oil palms. Rats eat and destroy stored produce like grains and tubers.
<h3>Nematodes</h3>
These are species of worm present in the soil. From the soil, they enter into the root of crops like tomatoes and okra where they cause the root to grow swellings called root knots. When this happens the plants have stunted growth and reduced yield
<h3>Snails</h3>
They are serious pests and they feed on leaves and reduce their photosynthetic ability, yield and quality of vegetables.
<h3>Nature of Damage to Crops</h3>
The nature of damage by some selected crop pest are shown in the table below: